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GripGrab ProGel Black

8
£32.00

VERDICT:

8
10
A supremely comfortable and grippy set of mitts
Weight: 
47g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The GripGrab ProGel Black mitts are a really comfortable, well-made, and subtly styled pair of short-fingered gloves that offer excellent comfort on longer rides.

  • Pros: Excellent padding, good grip, strong construction
  • Cons: Lowered wrist tab can be irritating

Mitts have a few different primary functions. They can protect your hands in the event of a crash, they can increase grip, and they can increase comfort on longer rides. The GripGrab ProGel Black mitts manage to do all these things incredibly well.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Grip is excellent, with a perforated 'Serino' faux leather material used throughout the palm area giving you a firm hold on the handlebar. Unlike some mitts, this same material is used across every part of the palm, which means that however you hold your bars or hoods you are likely to get good purchase.

gripgrab_progel_black_-_palm.jpg

Another key element is the comfort. As you can see in the photo above, GripGrab has used 4mm DoctorGel pads throughout: one sits across the base of the palm, another stretches from the centre to between the thumb and forefinger, and another runs across the bottom of the fingers. These provide excellent protection against bumps and uneven road surfaces and, having tested close to 100 pairs of mitts, these are safely in the top 5 per cent in terms of comfort.

On the top of the mitts, GripGrab has used three panels, one made of mesh to help with ventilation, the central and largest panel made from Lycra, and across the thumb a microfibre material that can be used to clear glasses or wipe away sweat (or snot). The stitching between each panel is strong and robust, and with the large Lycra area in the middle there is a decent amount of stretch to provide a close fit.

gripgrab_progel_black_-_back_of_hand.jpg

Ventilation is good too. I used them several times in temperatures pushing 30 degrees without ever feeling that I would have been better off with other gloves.

Securing the gloves is via a Velcro strap across the wrist which provides a firm grip and stops them riding up during a ride. This also makes removal easy because you can easily loosen the mitts before using the pull tab between the two middle fingers.

One of the only negative elements I could find is that the gloves have a slightly lowered wrist, which if not positioned properly can be a little irritating, though it only takes a little adjustment to fix.

Within these dropped wrists GripGrab has included a pair of magnets to keep the mitts together, which is a nice touch.

> Read more road.cc reviews of cycling mitts here

In terms of value, their RRP of £32 is comparable to the similar Lizard Skins Aramus GC Gloves and Sportful's R&D Cima Gloves, both £30. Given the comfort, grip and ventilation, it seems a fair price.

Overall I was really impressed with these mitts. They are fairly priced – if more expensive than many – comfortable and well made. Perhaps the dropped wrist could be improved slightly, but that is a minor element on what are otherwise excellent mitts.

Verdict

A supremely comfortable and grippy set of mitts

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road.cc test report

Make and model: GripGrab ProGel Black

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for

GripGrab says, "ProGel are one of the most comfortable fingerless gloves available.

Constructed from lightweight, flexible materials they offer maximum freedom of movement along with excellent fit and grip.

4 mm DoctorGel® padding helps prevent fatigue and numbness of the hands related to cycling activity.

The gMagnets provide a smart way to tidy up your gloves. The serino palm offers you all the grip you need on your bike."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

GripGrab says:

DoctorGel® 4 mm Padding

Sweat Wiper

Pull-off System

Grippy Serino Palm

Flexible Lycra Back

gMagnets - Keep Gloves Paired

Reflective Logos

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well made with strong stitching and good material choice throughout.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Performed well throughout the review period, offering a good amount of grip, comfort, and ventilation.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

The material choice is good, so they are unlikely to fall apart, and the palms seem robust and unlikely to damage easily.

Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10

Thanks to the Lycra back and flexible palm they have a great fit and mould well to your hands.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
7/10

The large I tested are about the same as other large mitts I've tested.

Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10

At 47g they are not as light as others I have used, but they are unlikely to do much damage if you're aiming for some KOMs.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10

Very comfortable thanks to the excellent pads used and the soft material on the inside of the pads.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

About where I would expect them to be; they certainly aren't the cheapest around, but for their quality and performance it's justified.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Easy, machine washed them in a 30 degree wash without any incidents.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The mitts performed very well. The pads and soft inner provide a lot of comfort, the fit means they stay in place well, and they have a good amount of ventilation too.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The pads are excellent, providing protection against all but the worst bumps and rough roads.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The dropped wrist elements which occasionally shifted were a minor irritation.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Comparable to the Lizard Skins Aramus GC Gloves and Sportful R&D Cimas, both £30.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Very comfortable, great fit, well put together, and decent ventilation all come together to make a very good pair of mitts.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 29  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cinelli Gazzetta  My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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